Ten Years On: The 1997 Vintage
A focus of this site, particularly during 2007, has been Bordeaux. Nevertheless, this will not show through in this tasting, as with the 1997 vintage we have a very difficult year for the red wines of the region, with the double whammy of unripe grapes and a wet harvest. As a result, many of the wines are said to be fully mature now, at just ten years of age, which will be a great disappointment to those who bought them en primeur, when the prices were sky-high. I have no bottles in the cellar, as although I accept a few wines have turned out nicely mature and attractive (and the 1997 Poujeaux was fabulous), providing early drinking, my early experience with the vintage, tasting a selection of wines at nearly six years of age, was enough to dissuade me from ever buying or drinking the wines again.
Of
course, Bordeaux is not just red wine, and when there is failure in one area
there may be success in another. In 1997 the conditions in Sauternes were
excellent, and some high quality wines were produced as a result. I have
included two such representative samples below. Burgundy is
another story, with some good wines in both red and white; the region does not
at present dominate my cellar, nevertheless I have included a few minor
examples. The Rhône Valley did not see an exceptional vintage, although there
are good wines to be found, and there is just
a single wine representing this region. The same can be said of Champagne.
There are other regions, however, beside Sauternes, which saw great success in 1997, starting with the Loire Valley. It was a good vintage for red wines, but also for the sweet whites of the region, and these latter wines are thus well represented here. In Tuscany, too, there was very favourable weather, and there are some very fine examples of Chianti to be found. The same is true of the Douro; this was largely a declared vintage, and although perhaps not up to the quality provided by 1994 there are many super wines. The Graham's, tasted here, is the first of a case.
Perhaps where my review of the vintage is most controversial is in my tastings of the wines from d'Arenberg, taking in three of the estate's leading cuvées, namely the Syrah cuvée and flagship wine the Dead Arm, followed by Coppermine Road, a Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Ironstone Pressings, the focus of which is Grenache. These were wines that impressed me when I tasted them in their youth, a little over five years ago. Now, however, I find all three to be surprisingly disappointing, all showing a somewhat hot, disjointed character. To my palate, these wines have simply not held their own in my cellar. Storage has been impeccable since purchase, and I think it unlikely that all three bottles, which were purchased at different times, were somehow damaged in a way that caused this problem without manifesting when I first tasted in 2002.
I do not wish to extrapolate these findings to all bottles, but it does nonetheless give me cause for concern about the ageing potential of this fruit-bomb style of wine. Australia now has a well established track record in producing excellent red wines, which certainly have the ability to age, as was demonstrated in my 1996 ten years on tasting, when I was delighted with the showings from Lindemans Pyrus and St Hallett's Old Block, and also by the wines from Mount Langhi Ghiran and Cullen tasted here. Is it something in particular about the d'Arenberg style that has produced such disheartening results? It is difficult to know, but if I had purchased more recent vintages I would certainly be opening them now to see in which direction they are going. In the meantime, I will continue to look at how the wines perform over ten years, with bottles from both 1998 and 1999 in the cellar waiting for an appropriate tasting event. (20/12/07)
The 1997 Vintage - Tasting Notes
Tasted in December 2007. Click
to locate
stockists:
Champagne:
Bollinger Grande Année 1997: A nice, clean appearance.
Plenty of bead, small to moderate size. Nice, evolved nose, smoky caramel mixed
with the fresh and appealing greenness of lime leaves, and even a touch of
vanilla. Nice little nuances of organic complexity here. Full, fresh and
rounded, with early secondary flavours, of caramel and coffee, but with piles of
freshness, lovely acidity and a crisp mousse underneath it all. This is just
fine. A really good effort for the vintage, showing better than both of my
previous tastings. I shudder to think of the rise in price of Grande Année since
I bought this though. 16.5+/20
Alsace:
Trimbach Cuvée
Frédéric Emile Riesling 1997:
A lovely golden hue, and a nose of lime sherbet with a creamy edge. Very open
and forceful, but full of citrussy nuances. Attractive, light-footed,
sherbetty-creamy, dry but rich, with very firm, defining acidity. A soft texture
nicely interwoven, although there is a hardness on the sherbet-tinged finish and
this wine clearly needs to integrate a little more. As I promised myself last
time, I shall try to leave well alone. 17+/20
Albert
Boxler Riesling Grand Cru Brand 1997: In
the glass this wine has a moderate intensity of
hue, is crystal clear, and it produces just a few clumps of tartrate crystals at the end of the
bottle. The nose is quite fabulous and I would go so far as to say quite unique
in terms of quality. It has a strong fruit component which is redolent of
peaches and cream, beautifully vibrant and well defined. To say anything else
other than this is sublime is perhaps superfluous, but - to try and give a more
complete picture - it has a delineated style, there is a lovely depth to the
bouquet, a gentle minerality, and overall a softness despite the open, vivacious
character. On the palate it is very direct, very flavoursome, with that same
peaches and cream quality backed up by simply delicious, mouth watering acidity.
Despite this appealing frame it still has a soft, rounded, near creamy texture,
wonderful depth and a broad presence, which is perhaps a touch honeyed and is
certainly fleshy and rich. Weighty, fruit-laden and endowed with a little
residual sugar I think, but not enough to make it overtly sweet, it also has a slightly bitter, peppery edge which gives
a welcome bite, and which carries through to the finish where there is a fine,
slightly honeyed length. Brilliant wine, drinkable now, but also full of
potential. I must look out for more wines from Boxler on the basis on this
tasting. For label images and more see my
Wine of the Week write-up.
19+/20
Bordeaux:
Chateau Guiraud (Sauternes) 1997: This has a remarkably deep, bronzed
gold hue on inspection in the clear glass bottle, and this is dense enough to
still be very apparent in the glass. The nose is very rich and characterful,
full of honey and toffee aromas, with a depth and spicy, caramel, orange, melon
and apple pie complexity mostly derived, I believe, from a wealth of botrytis.
The palate is immediately rich and creamy, but there is a little lift provided
by the acidity, before there comes a wave of toffee and caramelised fruit which
swamps the midpalate, before again showing revealing what is quite firm acidity
towards the end. Wonderful, luscious but well framed wine, firm and well
composed, with a great finish and length. Although I suspect the Rieussec of the
same vintage may well be the greater wine in time, on the night the Guiraud
really sung. Excellent. 18.5/20
Chateau Rieussec (Sauternes) 1997: From a half bottle.
A delightfully richly coloured, burnished gold. the nose is quite fine showing oranges
with a woody, oaky note in the background, with good botrytis character. The
palate is unexpectedly rounded and harmonious, showing a fat and grippy and creamy
style, but with an appropriate acidity that seems a little more firm than when I
last tasted, which is no bad thing. Delightfully vibrant and interesting, with a
meaty, savoury finish and plenty of character. Really full of potential, and it
should be great with just a little more time in the cellar. 18+/20
Burgundy:
Domaine Colin-Deleger Meursault 1997:
One of my last two bottles of this wine, on which I have written copious notes
over the years. Steadily improving over that time, this is the best bottle yet.
A very fine sediment noted. It has a pale golden hue, and an appealing,
evocative, forthright honey-oatmeal character on the nose, with notes of apples
swirled with cream and roasted nuts. Broad, flavoursome, honeyed, slightly
grippy, this is very enjoyable. It doesn't have the finesse or definition of a
truly great Burgundy (I suppose), but it has plenty of mature, mealy flavour
presented in a vigorous style. Spicy grip on the finish. And it is free of the
oxidation problem that seems to have beleaguered the region in recent years.
17/20.
Jean-Luc Joillot Pommard Premier Cru Les Epenots 1997: This has been
languishing in the cellar for many years now, and I must confess I was not
overly optimistic about its performance. But it was a wine that surprised,
starting with its attractive, cherry red hue, fading to a deep pink rim,
darkening but without any real sign of age. At first there is a blast of fruit,
with a volatile component but some very nice sous bois. It seems more mature
than the colour might have suggested. The texture and weight are appealing, firm
rather than silky, but with a nice, meaty presence. Good secondary flavours too,
gradually opening out to reveal some chargrilled notes and dark, roasted coffee
as well. Flavour, depth and plenty of appeal, if perhaps not the most elegant of
wines. But it exceeded my expectations! 16.5/20
Nicolas Potel Volnay Premier Cru Santenots 1997: A maturing red hue,
but not there yet by any means. A pink, perhaps slightly earthy rim. A nose of
cherries at first, with a slightly baked character. There is also a little note
of undergrowth, and overall an appealing, meaty-sweet character. There is good
weight to this sweetly composed wine, which has a little richness, and a touch
of velvet to the texture. It has firmness, with a bit of a bite. A firm, grippy
finish, with a slightly chalky feel. There is still some integration and
settling to do here. Good potential though. 16.5+/20
Nicolas Potel Pommard Premier Cru Arvelets 1997: A vibrant core
surrounded by a pink-taupe maturing rim. The nose is fine; cherries, smoke, dust
and meat rolled around in aromas of a leafy, woodland, forest floor character.
And the palate is no less enjoyable. It is a little silky on entry, and very
pure and well composed through to the finish. A well joined up, seamless style,
with elegance and texture combined. There is pepper, spice and grip on the
finish. This is really impressive. Although I think it still has more yet to
give, this is just fine for drinking now. 17.5+/20
Rhône:
Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape 1997:
A mature hue, with a dark and dense core, slowly fading to a dusky cherry rim.
The nose has a lot of what might be regarded as 'classic' Beaucastel character;
it has a feral, savage fruit which belies the high percentage of Mourvèdre in
the blend. In the background there is a little volatility reminiscent of
polystyrene cement - the last time I noticed a similar aroma it was in the 1995.
On the palate, it is full, textured, and shows a good weight from start to
finish. A forceful midpalate, with plenty of acid backbone although overall it
is quite nicely integrated and has an appealing balance. There is a little seam
of residual tannin beneath this. A nice wine which I think will be peaking
within the next few years. 17+/20
Languedoc:
Domaine de Ravanes Cuvée Diogène 1997: A moderate depth of
colour, deep at the core, with a transparent red rim. The nose is elegant and
welcoming, with obviously sweet violets dominating in quite an evocative and
open style. An attractive weight, full and quite broad, with plenty of
structure. Elegant and appealing flavours of dark, spicy berry fruits carried
along by a fresh and peppery rather light and lifted palate. This has real
style. Very good indeed. 17.5+/20
Loire:
Jo Pithon Coteaux du Layon Beaulieu 1997:
One of the benchmarks for the appellation I am sure, it is a delight to taste
this again. It still has that rich, burnished hue. The nose holds onto the
botrytis infused aromas it displayed last time, with a rich core of quince and
honey as well as new, deeper notes of golden syrup and pastry. Incredibly broad
and mouthfilling, with an unctuous texture backed up by a spicy grip. I don't
sense quite the same entwined and elegant balance as the last bottle, but the
concentration is stunning. Wonderful, rich notes reminiscent of baklawa,
dripping with honey, which passes through the finish and lingers on the palate
for a very long time. Very impressive. 18.5/20
Chateau de la Genaiserie
SdGN Coteaux du Layon Chaume 'Les Tetuères' 1997: A moderately rich golden
hue here, deeper than on my last tasting I think. The nose starts off a little
high-toned, but then displays attractive notes of orange marmalade, candied
pineapple, honey, sea salt and evident botrytis. Precise and yet with richness
on the palate, there is a lovely midpalate depth tied with a firm acidity, and
lots of creamy texture which builds up to the finish. Very resinous, with great
flavour, and beautifully structured with bright acidity underpinning all the
candied fruits. Still lots of potential here too I think. 17.5+/20
Chateau de la Genaiserie
SdGN Coteaux du Layon Chaume 'Les Simonelles' 1997: An appealing colour,
shimmering gold, but not hugely dense. Whereas last time this wine started off
rather high-toned, this time it has a more readily accessible nose, full of
pineapple and honey, but still with a delightful presence of straw and wool.
Pure, slightly grainy, deeply characterful palate, fresh and bright with rich
acidity, but also rich, heady and full of pleasure. Nicely balanced and well
composed. Beautiful presence through to a grippy, lingering finish. Excellent.
18/20
Chateau Bellerive Quarts de
Chaume 1997: Last tasted two years ago, I thought it would be fascinating to
see how this wine has developed. Still a deep, burnished gold hue. The nose has
a lovely, fresh and yet botrytis-infused character, full of quince and honey
aromas but with a mineral streak. Fine, unctuous entry on the palate, showing
beautifully rich and yet well defined flavours. Unbelievably, past the
midpalate, it is all turned up a notch, as the wine almost seems to relax in the
mouth, settling down and broadening out, and revealing notes of honey, warm
pastry, pistachio nuts, marmalade, ginger spice and more, all wrapped in a
luscious texture. Such fine complexity and depth, which persists on the finish
and lingers for a good length of time. Great acidic freshness too. This is
fabulous wine. 19-19.5+/20
Chateau Bellerive Quarts de Chaume
Quintessence 1997: Naturally, following on from my tasting of the standard
wine, I can not resist looking once again at this super-cuvée. This wine still
has an almost impossibly rich, deep, intense orange-gold hue. The nose is
similarly intense, with notes of orange blossom, creamy caramel, ginger and
botrytis; this is an absolute delight. The palate has a fabulous presence,
rather like liquid toffee, but freshened by notes of oranges and a gently fresh
acidity which seems just in balance on this tasting. Very broad, creamy, with
wonderful character, and very, very pure. This is certainly the most remarkable
Quarts de Chaume I have ever tasted, as I believe I have commented before! Such
purity, and yet such impact. Excellent. 19.5/20
Poniatowski Vouvray Clos Baudoin
Moelleux 1997: This has a golden hue, tinged with a richer, bronze-orange.
The nose is certainly interesting, with a chalk and straw character, alongside a
slightly peculiar baked marmalade aroma. It doesn't suggest great richness
though, and this is indeed the case on the palate, as this is a wine of well
defined structure, with a nicely chalky acidity backing up a small array of
rounded, straw-tinged autumnal flavour. Slightly bitter, good grip, not a rich
or luscious style, not the purest or most concentrated either. But the structure
confers good potential for the cellar I think, and it was good value too!
16.5-17+/20
Domaine Huet
Vouvray Le Haut Lieu Moelleux Première Trie 1997: This has an appealing,
mid-gold hue, pure but not excessively or worryingly deep in colour. The nose
has a number of classic Chenin traits, showing a warm, woolly character, with
faint traces of honey and toffee that I suspect may become a little more
apparent with further bottle age. Rich and quite direct and defined on entry,
before showing a broad and yet firmly structured character through the
midpalate, with good texture cut through most decisively by a classically styled
acidity. Little notes of richness on the finish. Lovely balance, and great
length. It still has quite a tight core on the palate, and this wine clearly has a lot of potential for the future. I am glad I have
the best part of half a case left to see how this one goes - it should be great. 18.5+/20
Lebanon:
Chateau Musar (Bekaa Valley) 1997: A really vibrant,
reflective character in the glass, and a fairly typical Musar nose of rather
furry fruit, exotic spices leather and a streak of volatile acidity. Rich with
plenty of substance on the palate, rather nicely integrated though with well
rounded edges. Deeply flavoured, creamy-oily character, and without doubt it has
the longevity that Musar is capable of. Enjoy now and over the next decade or
two. 17+/20
Germany:
Weingut von Hövel Oberemmeler Hütte Riesling Spätlese 1997: A pale,
lemon-golden colour. On the nose, intense limes, quite mineral, with a lot of
very incisive fruit and a slightly leafy edge. Rich and rounded on the palate,
with firm minerally lime at first, then broadening out and relaxing a little,
but remaining always very fresh ad well defined. Good body and weight, and a
fine length. There is clearly plenty of potential for the future here. 18.5+/20
Italy:
Castello di Fonterutoli Chianti Classico 1997:
This wine takes a little time to open out and reveal where it really is right
now, but it is certainly worth the wait. The colour is red-black, with a dusky
maturing hue. It initially has a little volatility, but this blows off to reveal
notes of custard - a Sangiovese trait - and dark fruits with a rather meaty,
furry, savage-styled fruit. This fruit carried through onto the palate where it
has a lovely presence, as the structure builds in grip, showing firm tannins on
the midpalate. It has a broadness, but with the freshness of redcurrants, plums
and cherries. There is a supple character and a well integrated composition.
Although it is perhaps a touch brawny still, overall this is very nicely
integrated and right now is simply delicious for drinking. 18.5+/20
Portugal:
Graham's Vintage Port 1997:
The first of a case which I think I will be enjoying greatly over the coming
years. Unsurprisingly this has an opaque, red-black hue. The nose is simply
delicious - a panoply of dark blueberry and raspberry fruit, backed up by little
seam of wood, and the faintest spirity hint. It has a very pure, lively, fresh
style which is matched on the palate by a rich, creamy, very sensuous texture on
entry. This is before the arrival of a very appropriate wall of tannin, spiced
with pepper, blueberry and vanilla, again with a little woody edge. Full and
heavily styled, more like double cream than single such is the richness and
texture, which melds with the grippy, tannic finish. Very well composed, full of
vigour and life, balanced and brimming with potential. A great wine. 19+/20
Australia:
Mount Langhi Ghiran Shiraz (Victoria) 1997: This still has a rather
dense, youthful appearance, rather like the bottle I had two years ago.
Immediately on pouring it gives off aromas rather suggestive of Rioja, raspberry
and blackberry fruit with American oak overlaid, but it then develops a more
complex nature, meat and leather and a mineral-liquorice character - very
similar to that found on my last tasting! Still showing an attractive fresh
style on the palate, perhaps rather more lean than expected, with firm acidity,
but with lovely freshness as a result. Savoury, with a dry extract and delicious
nature. Really a little development since last time, but still very, very good.
No sign of this one falling apart - I think this should drink well for a few
years yet. 17/20
Cullen Cabernet Merlot (Margaret River) 1997: A deeply coloured wine, dark and smoky on
the nose, with an intense aroma of black summer fruits. Rather mineral, with a
crunchy cranberry skin element to it. Nevertheless on the palate it has a rich,
creamy rather intense character, full of extract, sweetly ripe and yet fresh
with great acidity. There is an austere edge to it which I like, a slightly
bitter grip lurking in the background, with more of than cranberry sharpness.
This has a massive impact and will be just fine for many years yet in a good
cellar. 17.5-18+/20
D'Arenberg Ironstone Pressings (McLaren Vale) 1997:
A more mature colour than on my last tasting, which was five years ago. The
nose certainly has interest - roasted meats and liquorice, although with a
strange, confected, cough-candy aroma. The fruit has a baked, macerated edge to
it (storage has been impeccable) and there is a slightly hot, feral, gamey,
earthy, old coffee-ground character too. Soft and creamy on the palate, a touch
blowsy perhaps, rather velvety in texture though, broad, big and ripe. There are
firm acids behind it all, and a hard layer of tannins too. Like the nose, the
palate shows a sweet and meaty character. This is fascinating too taste,
although it is not a wine I am particularly enjoying. It doesn't seem to have
come together in a very harmonious fashion; in fact, it seems to be all over the
place. A rather reserved score. 15?/20
D'Arenberg Coppermine Road (McLaren Vale) 1997:
This wine has a dark, red-black core, with a cherry red rim. The nose has some
very attractive mature Cabernet characteristics, but overlaid with notes of
roasted meat, minty-sweet macerated fruit, rather high-toned liquorice character
and beefy, coffee-ground notes again. There seem to be some stylistic similarities with the
Ironstone Pressings which are dominating the intrinsic Cabernet elements that I
would have expected to find. It is rich but
softly composed on the palate, creamy but with some firm tannins in the
midpalate and finish. It is a touch spirity and hot. Again, storage has been
impeccable. A broad, huge, feral, minty fruit profile. Again, I don't think this
wine has lived up to the potential I thought I saw five years ago. 15.5/20
D'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz (McLaren Vale) 1997:
And so to the famed Dead Arm. A very dark wine, and on the nose aromas of hot,
dry, baked blueberries. It is rather port-like in character I think, and again I
find rather meaty, feral characteristics, together with a spirity side. Rich,
creamy, viscous even on the palate, laden with coffee flavour, a characteristic
which has marked all three of these wines. But also it seems
a little hot to me, and disjointed, with rather brutal acidity, culminating in a
really bitter, acid-dominated finish. The midpalate shows some nice cinnamon
touches, but there is a hollowness to it. Still a lot of tannin floating about,
but I can't be convinced that this wine is going anywhere. However successful it
was in its youth (and I certainly wrote about all three of these wines in a
positive fashion), it seems a mess right now. Is it just my palate, or has age
really down these three no favours? 14/20
California:
Ridge Vineyards Geyserville 1997: A moderately deep colour.
Firstly a lot of furry and feral aspects to the fruit on the nose, then it
becomes more clearly a melange of pure, ripe berry fruit. The palate is really
admirably styled, showing an appealing creamy texture but also a very well
defined backbone of acidity and a little grip in their too. There is an
enticing, savoury, meaty depth to the flavours, with a slowly fading finish. An
excellent wine, a real success for Ridge, and with lots of promise for the cellar yet. I'm glad I have another
bottle somewhere! 18+/20
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